


Someone in the Dark

by alien09



Category: Glee
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-05
Updated: 2012-12-05
Packaged: 2017-11-20 09:12:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/583688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alien09/pseuds/alien09
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: Her eyes jump, never really looking at him, but Puck thinks there's no one who has seen him more clearly. Blind!Rachel fill over at PR drabble meme. Slightly fluffy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Prompt fill over at the PR drabble meme for beckingham: "A blind Rachel. AU or not, after some accident or from birth. Don't care."**

**Hopefully this turned out good…**

Rachel Berry has always lived in the dark. She lives in a world that is never in light, never filled with colour. She assumes that this is normal, that this is just the way its like for everyone else.

It is only when she starts at McKinley that she realizes she's different.

When she's sixteen Rachel insists she go to high school with people her age. Being homeschooled growing up, she'd never had the opportunity to interact with other children. Her fathers had decided it was for the best, that they were trying to protect her from what was out there. Rachel brushes aside this excuse, tells them firmly that they won't always be around to shield her from what's out there. So Hiram and Leroy give in to her request and move to a small town in Ohio, allowing Rachel a fresh start.

It isn't until she finds herself drenched in cherry slushie that she begins to understand her fathers' wish better.

Rachel's at her locker, fingers tracing the small bumps etched into the books so she can pick out the ones she'll need for the weekend. The teachers had all been surprised at her ability to pick up on their lesson plans, to excel and go further than the rest of her classmates. Apparently lacking the ability to see must equate to academic ineptitude. She's been at McKinley for a few months now and people have been indifferently polite, like they still aren't sure how to act around her. Of course there are whispers about how she's blind because she doesn't have a mother, that this is God's way of punishing her fathers for their life of sin, but really Rachel has learnt not to give Quinn Fabray the time of day.

Kurt Hummel, the boy the Guidance Office had tasked with showing her around, yells her name and Rachel immediately turns her head in response. When the stinging cold hits her square in the face she wants to scream, wants to cry.

'Freak,' a male voice says like that's justification enough. Laughter fills her ears and Rachel lifts a hand to wipe the ice off her face, only to feel the bank of lockers she's next to jolt violently.

'What the fuck is your problem Karofsky?' Someone growls.

'Rachel are you okay? I tried to warn you…' Kurt grasps her elbow and Rachel relaxes because Kurt is here now, and that means she's going to be okay. Kurt won't let something like this happen again.

'It's alright,' she tells him shakily and the sound of flesh hitting flesh reaches her. Kurt pulls her away from it. 'What's happening?'

'Puck!' Mr Schuester, her Spanish teacher calls out. The name niggles at the back of her head. Oh. Noah Puckerman. She's heard about him. Kurt told her that he had a mohawk, that he liked hauling Jacob Ben Israel up on the flagpole. He'd slept with Quinn and had given up his baby daughter.

'He's a bully with a conscience now,' Kurt informs her the days she asks who Puck is. 'And incredibly attractive when he's got a guitar in his hand and decides to serenade you.'

'This asshole just slushied her,' Puck tells Mr Schuester angrily.

'He did Mr Schue,' Kurt agrees and Rachel wonders if the black clothes she has on will stain.

'Are you okay Rachel?' Mr Schue asks and Rachel nods, says she just wants to get cleaned up. The cane she had at her feet isn't there and for a moment she panics, Kurt's grip on her suddenly constricting. She needs the cane to know where she's going, so she can move around without anyone to help her.

'Here,' Puck's low baritone echoes somewhere to her left. The familiar wooden cane, with the rubber star she had attached at the top, is pressed into her palm. Puck's touch is foreign and sends something skating up her arm.

'Thank you,' she whispers before he's lost somewhere in the darkness again as Kurt tugs her towards the ladies room, muttering about dressing her in some colour.

(She doesn't tell him it's the easiest colour to dress in when you can't see yourself in the mirror)

The next time she meets Puck, it's unexpected.

That cherry slushie she receives is the last and Rachel doesn't know whether its ironic that it takes her getting humiliated to show the rest of the school she's just like them. She gets paired up with a cheerleader named Santana Lopez for English the day after and is suddenly taken under the girl's wing.

'Not to sound rude Santana, but I barely know you,' Rachel remembers telling Santana bluntly as they walk down the halls, their arms looped together.

'Look when you first showed up no one knew what to do with you. You're like the only blind person I've ever known,  _period_. But Kurt says you're kind of the shit in Glee and I guess that made me curious.'

'I'm not some kind of human exhibit.'

Santana scoffs. 'Trust me, I know that. So can we skip over the awkward after school special and just be, I don't know, discussing how we can make Juliet not sound like some kind of lame pushover? Because to me she's kind of an overdramatic little bitch.'

She's finally agreed to try out for Glee, knowing there was no way she could resist  _both_  Santana and Kurt. Rachel smiles a little, wishing she could actually bear witness to their faces when she performs for them for the first time.

See, being blind doesn't mean she's not talented. And if there's one thing Rachel Berry is extremely confident in, it's her voice. Before moving to Ohio, she'd performed at various functions for the synagogue and at Leroy's firm's Christmas parties. The applause she would hear, after loosing herself in words that can paint a world she can see for herself, makes her feel  _alive_. That applause has been driving her, letting her forget that she's not just someone who can't see, allowing her to brush aside the label of being  _that poor blind girl_ because she was in fact something extraordinary.

'Rachel?' She recognizes the voice and her fingers still on the piano. She only hears one set of footsteps and Puck has this peculiar shuffle, she notes, filing that away for future reference. Kurt glides across the floor while Santana walks with determination. People who can see identify their friend's through seeing their faces. Rachel just does that with the way they move.

'Hello Noah,' she greets him neutrally. Aside from the brief slushie encounter, they haven't really interacted. But Rachel figures if she's willing to stick up for her, he must at least not think she's too weird.

'How can you play the piano if you can't see shit?' His question is blunt and for some reason makes Rachel smile wider. She doesn't know if he listens when he explains how each piano is laid out the same, how she's been taking piano lessons since she was four.

'S'cool,' he mumbles when she's done. His breathing changes, like he's about to say something more but then the rest of the Glee club filter in. He moves away and Rachel's disappointed for reasons beyond her comprehension.

Puck listens to Rachel sing  _On My Own_ from some musical and knock it out of the park. Schuester's looking at this girl like she's his ticket out of Lima, and Santana and Kurt look accomplished.

'She wasn't  _that_ great,' Quinn tells Finn and Puck rolls his eyes. Whatever. Quinn and him had been civil since Beth. While Puck saw the entire pregnancy as a wake up call, Quinn still seemed determined to be HBIC. It was weird seeing this girl, this  _woman_ really, regress back into the petty blonde she was before. A part of Puck wasn't surprised, but a larger part wondered how Quinn  _couldn't_ change.

Rachel becomes the lead female soloist in Glee and suddenly becomes a more frequent presence in his life.

Puck's been curious about Rachel since she first got here. He'd watched her walk around with that star bobbing along on the top of her walking stick, at first with Hummel and then these days with Santana at her side. Sometimes, when he knew no one was looking, he'd just watch her. He'd figure since she couldn't see him, there was no chance of him getting caught. Sometimes she would swing her head in his direction and her brow would wrinkle, like she  _knew_ he was being creepy.

Okay so he hadn't spoken to her because, well, what do you say to someone who was  _blind_? Add in the fact she was a girl and Puck knew one way or another he would stick his foot in his fucking mouth no matter what. Best avoid getting on Lopez's bad side (again) and appreciate Rachel's tight little body from afar.

But now Schue's assigned him as Rachel's official dance partner (mostly because Finn's a complete klutz and he's pretty sure Quinn's bribed the New Directions chair somehow) and Puck can't get away from how  _Rachel_ she is.

The first time Schue has them work out the choreography, Rachel's not down with it. Puck can't blame her so he's trying to be patient and shit, which anyone can tell you isn't the easiest thing for him to do. Two hours in his temper starts to get the best of him.

'Berry, you have to  _chillax_ ,' he hisses through his teeth when Rachel refuses to turn when he tells her to.

(He reverts to her surname to put a little distance between them, which becomes often when he suddenly finds her centerstage in his dreams)

'I'm sorry but this is  _difficult_ for me Noah,' she whispers right back and he can pick up the slight inflection in her tone.

'I'm not gonna, like, make you fall on your ass or anything.'

She relaxes a little at that. 'I know. But imagine never being able to open your eyes when you dance. It's scary and disconcerting. When I sing I'm stationary. This…' Rachel trails off and bites her lip. Her eyes are brown and unfocused. This had freaked him out until he realized she had really long eyelashes. Which led to him thinking her eyes looked like a Cadbury chocolate bar and espresso mixed together. Which meant he now liked  _looking_ at her eyes.

(If she's blind, he thinks to himself often, shouldn't they be white?)

'I've got some pretty badass guns babe. I'll catch you when you need me to,' he tells her sincerely. Rachel looks about as surprised as he is but gradually begins to relinquish her control over to him.

The next thing he knows Rachel's his  _friend_. Not like a girl he fucks on the side and then gets high with. Rachel Berry is the furthest thing from Santana Lopez or any of those other girls and cougars he's been with. She genuinely seems okay that he swears too much and that he has an unhealthy attachment to violent video games. They hang out together in between classes and he lets her walk around with her tiny hand curled around his bicep.

'What are you going to do when you graduate?' Rachel asks him one day on the bleachers.

'Dunno. Whatever I guess. Can't disappoint anyone too much when everyone thinks you're a deadbeat.'

Rachel actually gasps and whacks him on the shoulder. The next thing he knows he's parked in front of a computer in the library, looking up scholarships and financial aid for songwriting courses.

(What? So Rachel knows he likes to pen words of lyrical awesomeness. She'd asked her to sing the song he'd been messing around with and he couldn't, like, tell her  _no_ )

She mutters under her breath about he's an idiot, about how he has all this untapped potential that she absolutely refuses to let go to waste. Something inside his chest squeezes at the fact that Rachel isn't forcing herself to say those things, that she actually believes them wholeheartedly.

That feeling begins to intensify and Puck doesn't know what to make of it. Now Rachel's hair looks like it has gold threads, her laugh is fucking adorable and he does stupid things to make her smile sometimes. Santana watches him but Puck tries to ignore her eyes and focuses on Rachel.

It isn't until they're at Rachel's house one weekend that things come to a head.

The Berry family live in a neat one-storey house with roses spilling out the front porch. The first time Puck goes over Leroy scares the shit out of him because the guy is  _huge_. Hiram, on the other hand, positively adores him because his daughter does (Hiram's words, not his). He discovers that at home Rachel doesn't use her walking stick because the layout is familiar to her. One time she gets him a soda and its kind of hard not to be in awe when she casually takes a glass out of a cabinet and then a Coke from the fridge, dumps some ice inside and hands a nicely chilled beverage to him like it isn't a big deal.

'I do things like this everyday Noah,' she sounds irritated. 'I'm not incompetent. This is my  _home_.'

So their watching some lame chick flick that Santana insisted they see, and considering Puck, Artie and Mike are outnumbered they let Kurt put in  _The Princess Diaries_ without complaint. Rachel's sitting next to him in an oversized shirt and tights, and Puck tells himself to ignore the thigh pressing against his jeans. The first half of the movie is spent listening to Santana's running commentary and Kurt's remarks about the wardrobe. Rachel excuses herself and Puck leans back in his seat, decides Anne Hathaway is pretty hot when she isn't talking about Genovan pears.

Rachel's cry of pain has him out of his seat and he finds her sprawled on the ground clutching her shin.

'Who moved the ottoman?' Rachel gasps out and Santana clucks her tongue.

'Shit I just wanted to make a little-'

'What the fuck Lopez. She could have  _died_ or something,' Puck barks out, hand cupping Rachel's elbow and the other resting over her leg.

'I'm sorry okay! It's not like I  _wanted_ her to hurt herself,' Santana shoots back and sounds kind of teary.

'Noah it was an accident,' Rachel assures him and Santana at the same time. The rest of the movie is spent in a tense, awkward silence that Rachel breaks when she tells Santana that they need to talk. Puck watches them head towards Rachel's room and Kurt watches Puck watch Rachel.

'Santana wouldn't do anything to Rachel,' Kurt tells him seriously and Puck fidgets.

'Yeah man, everyone knows not to mess with your girl,' Mike says as he claps Puck on the shoulder.

'She's not my girl,' Puck protests weakly when Santana glares at him as she comes back into the living room.

'Ray wants to talk to you asshole.'

Puck rolls his eyes but gives Santana a look, one that says he's sorry, and the Latina waves him on with a nod. Not before saying something low in his ear.

'Be careful with her Puckerman.'

Rachel's on the bed when he comes in, the afternoon sun hitting her in the face. She's got her eyes closed and turned towards the warmth, features serene.

'Come in Noah,' she says after a beat and Puck closes the door.

'How'd you know it was me?'

'Your walk.'

'Oh,' he replies, sinking down onto the bed beside her. Rachel turns to face him, tilts her head to the side.

'Can I see you?' She finally asks and Puck blinks at her like she's insane.

'What?' He says hoarsely. She wiggles her fingers in his face, narrowly missing his nose.

'It's only fair because you already know how I look like,' Rachel jokes and Puck doesn't think its funny at all.

He wants to say something witty and badass. 'Fine,' is what he manages instead.

Rachel stretches out her finger tentatively and Puck doesn't move to help her, knows that she'd rather do it on her own. He holds his breath when her skin comes into contact with his face, skates over his features tenderly. She traces the lids of his eyes, the arch of his eyebrows, the high bones of his cheek.

'Your head's scratchy,' she giggles when her fingers pull against the short bristles of his mohawk. 'Your haircut even  _feels_ ridiculous.'

Puck snorts, let's her continue her exploration.

'You have a mole,' Rachel's voice gets soft as her touch lingers near his mouth. Puck's heart speeds up and he notices Rachel has a beauty mark on her cheek as well. She traces his lips and his heartbeat accelerates and he wonders if she can hear it. Rachel leans in and he holds her wrists, jerks away.

'What are you doing?'

'I was going to kiss you,' she tells him matter-of-factly. Puck gapes.

'The fuck for?'

'Because I want to. And because I know you want me to as well.'

He can't argue with that logic because now all he can think about is what Rachel tastes like. Puck places her hands back on his face and grips the back of her neck, rubs a soothing circle on the top of her spine. Everything around fades away as he bumps his nose against hers, gives her time to pull away if she wants to. Instead she presses her lips clumsily against his own.

'Sorry,' she mumbles, embarrassed as she turns away. Puck doesn't let her, feathers his fingers across her cheeks and slants his mouth over hers gently, sweetly. She's like a wine that needs to be sampled, something that's been sitting there to mature and age until the time was right to get a taste.

He nips at her bottom lip, feels her mould gently against his upper one. His tongue traces the outline of her lips and Rachel's hands are on his shoulders now, hold light and hesitant. She can feel his large palm stroking up her side, settling at her waits to pull her closer as he nudges against her lips.

She grants him access tentatively. Rachel's never kissed a boy before and Noah's incredibly strong under her fingertips, the quiet strength that she has found so comforting these past few months. His voice never failed to make her stomach dance, and she was sure if he spoke in a crowd of a thousand she could pick him out without fail.

His tongue kind of strokes hers, glides and curls before flicking the inside of her cheek. She lets out a moan, something breathy and uncontained, and Puck's grip on her tightens in response. Rachel lets her hands rest against his back, fascinated as they undulate underneath her palms when she feels his knee against the juncture of her thighs.

'Fuck Rach,' he groans when they come up for air, Puck resting his forehead against hers.

'Was I not good enough? I'm not sure if they sell a book on kissing techniques in Braille-'

'Shut up,' he tells her, teasing. 'Just…never thought you'd  _want_ to make out with someone like me.

'Well,' she counters lightly, playing with his hair. 'I suppose I could say the same thing to you. I've heard what people say about me-'

'Fuck that noise,' he cuts her off, presses his knee firmly into her core and eliciting a sharp hitch of breath from Rachel. 'Sometimes I think you see things that all of us can't see.'

'So it doesn't bother you that I'm blind?'

'No,' he shakes his head, bites his tongue when Rachel rubs against his knee and presses her fingernails into his back. 'Swear to cow I don't even notice it. You're just Rachel.'

'Really?' She's beaming at him like he's handed her a Tony. Puck shifts them so he's got her pressed onto the mattress underneath him, leans himself on his elbows to look down at her. Her eyes jump, never really looking at him, but Puck thinks there's no one who has seen him more clearly.

'Can we make out some more?'

Rachel giggles at his request and nods.

He presses his lips to hers and Rachel's a bit more confident now, hums into his mouth as she runs her foot up the back of his calf. He rests a knee in the middle of her legs, holds her hips to push down against the denim because he likes that little moan she made before. Rachel wraps her legs around him, pushes up against the front of his pants. He runs his hand along her knee and finds a spot behind it that makes her arch against him.

'You like that huh?' He grunts out when she kisses his jaw, small open-mouthed smacks that are slowly driving him insane.

Puck thinks the day Rachel let him lead her during a glee number is the day he handed over a part of himself for her to direct.

A pounding at the door breaks them apart.

'You better not be defiling her when I'm in the next fucking room jackass!' Santana's voice filters through the door. Puck groans into the spot next to Rachel's head, Rachel's hands fluttering to the small of his back.

'Come on Noah,' Rachel laughs. 'We can do this later.'

'Yeah?' He doesn't care how hopeful he sounds.

'Of course. But only after you've taken me to dinner. I'm not some floozy.'

'Damn straight,' he agrees with her. 'Let's just…wait a minute.'

Rachel smiles wickedly as she wraps her legs a bit tighter around him before letting them fall onto the bed.

'Shit you're evil.'

'I'm a teenage girl who knows what she wants. That's an entirely different thing,' she informs him primly, brushing hair off her face.

They walk into the living room and Puck immediately pulls Rachel into his lap, ignores the knowing smirk Mike throws his way and the shocked expression on Kurt's face.

'Urgh. This is gonna become a thing now, isn't it?' Santana gripes though she looks somewhat satisfied.

'Noah and I have mutually decided to embark on a romantic endeavour, yes,' Rachel says.

'She's mine now,' Puck answers, holding Rachel tighter.

'I'm not a possession Noah!' Rachel protests.

'Might as well have Property of Puck tattooed across your ass Ray,' Santana pats her consolingly on the arm. 'But if he ever fucks you over, know that I'll cut his dick off with a rusty knife just for you,' the Latina continued meaningfully.

Yeah, he kind of expected that.

'Don't worry San. Noah's always done his best when it comes to things that he cares about,' Rachel tells the dark-haired girl.

Puck couldn't have said it better himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Puck's dating the blind chick. That's the most common phrase that Rachel hears when Puck walks into school holding her hand. She's not at all surprised by the words and frankly should have expected it. It took a while to convince Santana that scratching Quinn's eyes out wasn't necessary on the first day.

'Are you listening to these assholes Ray? I gots razor blades up in this weave. Gimme one second with  _any_ of them-'

'I appreciate the sentiment Santana,' Rachel interrupts, placing a calming hand on her friend's arm. 'But it's best to let these things pass. In a day or two something else scandalous will happen and Noah and I will be old news.'

She hears Santana scoff. 'Puckerman, you gonna stand there like a little bitch?'

Rachel feels Puck's arm shift on her shoulder. 'You really think I care what these losers think? Rach is right. Don't worry Lopez, if anyone crosses a line I'm all for reminding them which kingdoms I run.'

Rachel rolls her eyes, and she's pretty sure Santana does the same.

'It's intimidation and fear-'

'God just shut up,' Santana retorts, reaching over to squeeze Rachel's fingers. It was a gesture they had developed to let Rachel know when Santana was entering or leaving a conversation. 'See you later Ray.' Something flowery enters Rachel's nose as she feels soft lips press against her cheek.

'What a bitch.'

' _Noah_.'

'What?' Puck's voice is beside her and warm breath ghosts over the shell of her ear. 'S'true. Can't hassle me for bein' honest.'

'What am I going to do with you?' She wonders out loud, tapping a finger on her chin.

'Baby, there are so many answers to that question,' Puck answers, both hands easing her back onto the bank of lockers. The rough pads of his fingers trace up her arm, her neck, her face. It's a new sensation that sends thrills up her spine, one that she thinks she will have no trouble getting used to. The slide of Puck's lips against hers is something she intends to master as well.

'I'm so thankful I didn't have breakfast this morning,' Kurt's wry tone makes Puck slowly drift away, earning a plaintive whine from Rachel. Her heart thuds against her chest like a hummingbird and Rachel clenches her fist to slow it down.

'See you at lunch 'kay?' Puck whispers to her, pressing a kiss to her forehead before leaving. Rachel thinks maybe that should be Puck's identifying gesture.

'You look like you're going to swoon,' Kurt says. 'Here hold on to my elbow so you don't faint.'

Rachel giggles and links her arms through Kurt's. Puck shakes his head at the pair before heading off in the opposite direction.

A few days later Puck wrings his hands nervously as he rings the doorbell at the Berry household. He tugs at the collar of his plaid shirt and runs a hand through his hair, body tensing when the door swings open to reveal a man about his height with wire-rimmed glasses.

'Good afternoon Sir,' Puck says. 'I'm here to pick Rachel up.'

'Ah. You must be Noah. Come in son,' Mr Berry sweeps a hand through the open threshold and Puck complies hesitantly. 'I'm Hiram Berry.'

Puck shakes his hand, hoping his palms weren't sweaty.

'Rachel! Your boyfriend's here!' Hiram calls up the stairs and Puck freezes. Some of the panic must have been reflected on his face because Hiram laughs, claps him on the shoulder a bit forcefully. Puck sees a tall, black man descend down the stairs with Rachel and feels the blood drain from his face.

_Oh my fuckin' god. Shaq is gonna kill me._

The other man, or Daddy as Rachel affectionately calls him when they leave, is named Leroy and seems to regard Puck with the right degree of suspicion.

'I'll have her back before curfew…Sirs,' Puck tells them both, heart leaping to his throat when Rachel weaves her fingers between his. Both men flick their eyes towards the gesture and Puck waits with bated breath for either one to whip out a shotgun or a rabid Guide Dog. Nothing happens though and Puck lets out a relieved sigh as he helps Rachel into his truck.

'See? I don't even know why you were worried,' Rachel murmurs as she smoothes down the red sundress she has on, leans her cane across her lap. 'They like you.'

'Parents don't like me,' Puck thinks he should tell her, remembering the looks he had gotten from people during Quinn's pregnancy. 'You look hot.'

'Really?' She asks like his compliment is unexpected.

'If I wasn't afraid your dads would, like, kill me, I would totally be makin' out with you right now,' he informs her seriously. She still looks uncomfortable with his words and Puck decides any guy who hasn't realized how ridiculously attractive this chick is a complete idiot. Actually he's glad, because  _he's_ the one that wants to help her acknowledge her beauty or some shit like that.

The drive to the park isn't long and Rachel sits by his side, content to absorb the sounds and smells around her.

'So…'cause you can't see, does this mean you have superhearing or somethin'?' Puck ventures cautiously.

Rachel lets out a little laugh before replying. 'Unfortunately no. I've just learnt to listen more carefully or really focus if I want to distinguish smells. It's something everyone is capable of really. I just rely on the skill more since I can't see like you.'

Puck feels a bit stupid asking the question and doesn't see Rachel angle her body towards him, or see her hand crawl across the seat to find his thigh until she squeezes. It almost makes Puck veer off the road.

'I'm not offended Noah. I like that you feel comfortable enough to ask,' Rachel says gently. Puck pulls into the parking spot, cuts the engine before taking her hand between his.

'I think whenever you see me you should kiss my forehead,' Rachel suddenly announces before flushing. Puck grins.

'Yeah?'

'It's so I know who you are when you come up to me,' Rachel explains a bit frantically. 'Santana squeezes my hand and Kurt like tapping my elbow.'

Puck leans over to peck her forehead, enjoying the way Rachel scrunches up her nose at the gesture. He eagerly leads her out of the car, grabbing the woven basket and soft blanket as Rachel runs a toe through the gravel laid over the parking lot.

'You need a hand?' He asks.

'Please.' Puck tucks the blanket over the basket on one arm before grabbing Rachel's hand, telling her when to step up or around when needed.

'Are we at the park?' Rachel sounds excited and a part of Puck relaxes at that.

'I figured we could have a picnic since it's a nice day. You like the sun right?' He already knows she does, recalling all the times he's seen her just sit somewhere with her face turned up at the sky.

He tells Rachel to stand somewhere while he sets everything up, grasping her fingers as he lets her seat herself on the worn blanket. She brushes against his shirt, asks him what colour it is.

'Purple and black I think. Plaid,' he squints at the material.

'It feels nice. Sit closer to me so I can enjoy it.'

Puck lets a wicked smile lift his lips as he shuffles closer to her, laying out the finger food Santana had helped him make this morning. His mother had looked curiously at the pair of them on her way out the door, Santana asking him loudly whether any of the glee members were allergic to cucumber. Thank fuck. He wasn't quite ready to introduce Abigail Puckerman to Rachel yet.

'How come you never did shit like this for me?' Santana had asked him at one point.

'Dude, I gave you as many fingers as you asked for.'

'Fuck you,' Santana narrowed her eyes at him, smirking. 'Hand me the peanut butter asshole.'

Puck watched Rachel eat, enjoying the way she would taste, feel and smell each item before devouring it in dainty bites. After they laid side by side on the blanket, Rachel sighing in contentment.

'This is wonderful Noah. Thank you.'

Puck leaned up on his elbow, let his eyes trace over her. The dress hugged her curves and ended at her knee, tanned skin glowing like the gold necklace clasped around her neck.

Rachel felt something warm settle over her knee, Puck's thumb rubbing small circles over the bony bit that stuck out at the side. Biting her lip, feeling bold, Rachel put a hand over his. Questioning she tracked a path to his shoulder, pushing him towards the ground before positioning herself on top of him. Puck chuckled, hands on her hips to steady her.

'Knew you only liked me for my body,' Puck says softly, intimately. Rachel smiles at him, props her chin on his chest and sighs when his lips brush against her bangs. Easing up she uses her hands to find his lips, Puck letting her fingers dance across his face before her lips find his.

Rachel's entire world narrows to just him and her, the way their bodies are touching and the way Puck flicks his tongue into her mouth like a caress. She worries whether she's doing this right, concentrates to make sure Puck is enjoying this just as much as she is. The hands at her waist climb up, and Rachel arches into him instinctively when she feels his thumb brush against the underside of her breast. Puck groans at the movement and she can feel something stiff brush against her pelvis.

'Okay. Okay. We need to…slow the fuck down a little,' Puck tells her, voice a little shaky.

'Am I doing something wrong?' She curses her inexperience.

' _Fuck_ no,' Puck assures her, pushing her hair behind her ear. 'But you're hot and I'm tryin' to  _not_ take this too far. You deserve to be wooed.'

'Wooed?' Rachel arches an eyebrow.

'S'what Kurt said when I borrowed the basket from him.'

'I like what we're doing,' Rachel states confidently. 'I want to do it somemore.'

'Shit. You're killin' me here. I'm tryna be chilvarous or somethin' like that, okay?'

'Okay,' Rachel soothes. 'But honestly Noah, if I think you're overstepping a line, I would tell you.'

'I know,' Puck breathes out heavily. 'But I want to do this right. You're, like, my first legit girlfriend-'

'What about Quinn?' Rachel asks, curious. Puck's hold on her tightens before relaxing.

'Quinn and I were…complicated. Whatever was between us didn't exist, no matter how much I wanted it to. Fuck, I'm pretty sure Quinn hates my guts. More so after.'

The pain in his voice is hard to miss and Rachel leans her cheek against his chest, wraps her arms around his neck. They lie there, Rachel using Puck as a mattress, as the afternoon sun beats down on her neck. She hopes her actions show him that she's sorry he had to go through what he did, that she's sorry for bringing Quinn up.

'You're a good person Noah,' she mumbles into the purple and black plaid.

Puck doesn't say anything. His fingers comb through her hair and after a few minutes Rachel feels drowsy, fists Puck's shirt and drifting off.

'Rachel?' Puck says softly, sees that the girl's fallen asleep. He lifts her, places her on his side where she immediately curls up, face snuggling into his neck. He looks at her for a minute before staring up at the clear, blue sky.

If nothing else, Rachel has taught him one thing – most times it was the blind that showed the seeing which way to go.

_I want to do this right, because you deserve it. And so do I._


End file.
